Putting the "Practice" in Public Health Practice - Part II: Creating and Supervising an Ultimate Internship Experience

One of the most valuable and defining components of an undergraduate program in public health is field practice or an internship. For many students the internship represents their initial foray into the world of public health practice and an opportunity to apply skills learned in the classroom to a professional setting. 

Upon becoming a school of public health the Department of Behavioral and Community Health’s undergraduate numbers increased dramatically. Challenges existed as we grew into our new role and worked to best reflect the CEPH guidelines for an undergraduate public health major within a SPH (unusual nationally).  Ensuring that the capstone immersion internship continue to provide an individualized, high quality learning experience remained a key goal.  Preceptor satisfaction surveys and final program evaluations completed by our students confirm the positive outcome of these efforts.

Based on over two decades of experience preparing and supervising full-time undergraduate student internships each semester, this poster will outline the components necessary to facilitate an effective and meaningful field experience. An organized, well considered approach to maintaining a high quality internship program includes the development of the following: appropriate and sustainable community partnerships; processes for site selection and approval; criteria for host organizations and preceptors; standards for monitoring and supervising student progress; curriculum for ongoing professional development and mentorship; and best practices for quality management, trouble shooting and conflict resolution. This structured approach provides students with performance evaluation feedback, technical and professional writing opportunities, professional network development, as well as knowledge and tools for the public health work environment.  A well-constructed internship model produces competitive candidates for the public health workforce and tracks students to both graduate school and career positions.